


A Proper Gift

by apostapals (apostapal)



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Gen, Gender-Neutral Hawke, Multi, kirkwall crew taking care of each other like a good and proper family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 01:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7079896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apostapal/pseuds/apostapals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hawke vouches to go practical when they finally get a pay out from the Deep Roads Expedition and get everyone proper footwear. It has mixed results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Proper Gift

One of the first investments Hawke makes into their friends' lives is to get them shoes. Growing up poor on a Lothering farmstead makes one put real value on such simple things.

Some appreciate the gift more than others...

 

“Ooh, these look comfy.” Isabela coos, holding the boots up in the dim light of the Handed Man, “Such soft leather too! Thank you, Hawke.”

Hawke gets a kiss, where ever they want it, as repayment.

She wears them literally apart at the seams and then pays what little coin she has from a recent card game to get them patched up. Hawke rarely sees her without them for years.

 

Varric raises a brow at them, patting the box in front of him.

“You know I can afford my own shoes, right?” he asks, teasing.

Hawke nods. “It's a gift, Varric, not a shot at your awful losing streak in cards.”

Varric laughs and claps them on the arm.

 

Merrill tries, oh does she try, to wear the small slippers Hawke gets her. But they're just so, so confining!

“I love them, I do, but I feel like I'm trapping my toes.”

“Are they too small?” Hawke asks.

Merril shakes her head. “No no, it's not that.” she explains, patting their hand gently, “I'll just... keep them for when we're going through Darktown.”

True to her word, Merrill dutifully pulls them from her pack every time they head down to the underside of Kirkwall. She simply... walks a bit slower than usual.

 

“You got me... boots?” Anders asks, touching the leather as if to be sure it's even real.

Hawke nods and grins at him widely.

“I figured you could use a new pair.” they gesture to Anders' current footwear, which is caked in the brown dust of Darktown.

Anders looks up from the black leather to them with misty eyes and reaches out, beckoning them into a hug. As they oblige he mutters thank yous into their coat.

“I knew one farm kid to another would understand this gift.” Hawke chuckles warmly.

“You've no idea, my friend.” Anders murmurs back, squeezing them tightly.

 

“Is this implying something, Hawke?” Fenris asks sharply after he opens the box.

Hawke cringes and lets off a nervous laugh. “No no.” they explain, “Nothing implied. I just figured you'd like something between you and the rotting garbage of Kirkwall.”

Fenris is one they'd taken special care to obtain proper footwear for. He had a habit of pausing their travels to pick things off of or out of his feet and Hawke was worried he'd end up with some nasty infection soon enough.

Fenris just makes a noncommittal noise and sets the box on the bench next to his fireplace.

“Thank you, then.” he says.

Later, when Hawke leaves, he actually does try to wear them. But this nonsense of socks and leather rubbing the markings on the tops of his feet eventually just leads to him kicking the things off and across the foyer of his mansion.

Truly, he feels a bit bad. No one's ever really given him a gift before. Hawke is nothing but understanding when he vouches to simply keep them propped up by his door instead of wearing them around Kirkwall, at least.

 

“You know the Guard issues boots to all of us, right?” Aveline asks, teasing, when she opens the box.

“Mm, and I'm sure they're just as cruddy as the last ones you got.” Hawke shoots back.

Aveline laughs and nods. “That they are. Thank you, Hawke.”

 

Carver's new boots arrive with the Grey Wardens not long after he does. He's terribly grateful—the new recruits' footwear is so stiff and rough compared to them. They're a fine fit, too, something expected from growing up with Hawke, after all.

He writes a thanks to Hawke, short and simple, and ends up wearing the things till they literally fall apart on his feet.

 

Hawke sneaks Bethany's new shoes into the Gallows with the utmost care. They arrive flawless and she tears up at the sight of the simple slippers.

No one asks were they come from. Bethany pays 5 silver just to sneak a thank you letter back to Hawke.

 

When Hawke's own boots finally break apart in the middle of the awful crawl out of the Bone Pit, Varric instantly starts scheming. Mere hours later and he's gotten everyone to pool in whatever money they have to spare and has picked out the best pair in Hightown he can find in Hawke's size.

The whole group is present at the Hanged Man when Hawke is presented with them. Strapped for cash at the time, they'd had to squeeze on an old pair of Carver's or Bethany's shoes to even come out for the evening.

“You guys got me... boots?” they ask, voice cracking sightly.

“Just returning the favor, Hawke.” Varric replies and props his feet on the table. He's wearing the boots Hawke got him, having resoled the things at least a dozen times by now.

Isabela has to do a shot with Hawke to keep them from outright crying from sheer joy in the middle of the bar.


End file.
